Ian

“We’ll be out back in about twenty minutes. When you get a shot, go for it,” Bryce whispered low. Sweat poured down my back and it wasn’t even hot in New York City this time of year. However, being on the rooftop of a downtown hotel was a different story.

I set my sights on the restaurant’s back door. “Will do, brother. I’ve already interrupted the hotel’s video feed. We should be good to go.”

“Roger that. Be safe out there.”

“You too.” With dread settling into the pit of my stomach, I hung up.

Bryce was my twin brother, and an FBI agent just like me. More importantly, we were a part of the Circle of Justice, a group of assassins who targeted those who escaped the system. We were currently going after a mob leader—our favorite type of hit. These jobs were more complicated than the others, as these men were always prepared for a fight.

For the past year, Bryce had been working undercover, cut off from our family, except for me. He was in too deep. I’d promised to help him in any way I could.

Time ticked by, but my aim never swayed from the back door of the Italian restaurant. Being a part of the mob was like being in a whole new world. I hadn’t personally been stuck on the inside, but I’d seen it through Bryce’s eyes. He’d done so much to gain their trust; I wondered if he’d ever be free again.

The back door opened and my heart raced, like it always did when I made a new kill. I got into position, but the first person out—a rotund lady with dark, curly hair—wasn’t my target. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow, before sliding my finger away from the trigger.

I didn’t enjoy killing people, but it was my job. The only satisfaction I got was knowing I rid the world of a worthless human being, one who couldn’t harm others anymore. Most of the notorious mobsters stuck to murdering their own people when they felt betrayed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way they all were. The man I hoped to snare in my sights today was not only guilty of murdering innocents, but he was the leader of a pedophile ring. He spent most of his time trafficking young girls and boys as sex slaves for overseas. The fucker had gotten away with it for far too long.

The back door opened again and I slid my finger over the hairpin trigger. Bryce walked out in a crisp, gray suit, followed by two other men. They looked out of place walking through the dirty alley. My brother had changed so much in the past year, I almost didn’t recognize him. His light brown hair was gelled back and he strutted down the alley like an arrogant douche.

None of these men were my mark. “What’s going on, brother?” I mumbled to myself.

The target’s name was Tony Greco, a middle-aged man with a wife and two daughters. Knowing he had teenage girls, I couldn’t see how the scumbag could sell kids as sex slaves. It made me so goddamn sick, I didn’t feel bad about taking his life.

“All right, motherfucker, where are you?” I growled, ready to get it over with.

The back door opened and he walked into the moonlight, rubbing his belly with a smile on his face. Rage consumed me and I pulled the trigger, wiping the smile off his face with a bullet to the forehead.

Shouts echoed through the alley, and I wasted no time in getting out of there. In a matter of minutes, his henchmen would no doubt pinpoint the direction of the shot. I secured my rifle inside a hidden compartment in my suitcase, then charged for the door to the stairs. By the time I made it down to the lobby, I turned the corner just as Bryce and the other men stormed through the front. Bryce looked exactly like one of them, and I prayed to God he’d get out before he stayed that way.

“Good luck,” I whispered, watching him disappear up the stairs. Turning on my heel, I hurried out of the door to the bustling streets. Once I was secured in a cab and on my way to LaGuardia, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. I was more than ready to get back to Wyoming. Three weeks was too long in the big city.

My phone rang and I thought it’d be Bryce, but it wasn’t. “What can I do for you, Chief?”

Colton Myers was the chief of police back in Wyoming. His call wasn’t unusual, because they often called me and my brothers when there were cases the local PD couldn’t solve. “I need your help,” he replied, his voice shaking.

The cab driver pulled up to the airport entrance and I passed him a wad of bills before getting out. “What’s going on? I’m about to get on a flight to head home.”

“Good. I’ll drop these files off with Reed, so you can see them when you get back.”

The din of the bustling city made it hard to hear him, but I could tell he was distraught. “Files for what?”

He sighed heavily. “You know how there’ve been missing hikers in Montana?”

“Yeah, I saw something about it before I left for New York.” It wasn’t uncommon for tourists to sway from the hiking trails or test their limits by doing stupid shit. Most of those people found themselves dead. I liked to climb the cliffs, but I was good at it.

“We’re missing people here too,” Colton confessed.

“It happens every year. Why does this case shock you?” I’d been gone for three weeks, so I hadn’t even paid attention to what was going on in Wyoming.

He huffed angrily. “About three weeks ago, eight men supposedly went missing in our mountains. Just this morning, I couldn’t get a hold of Grace. Her boss also called me and said she never showed up at their meeting last night. Her car is still at the hotel. It’s like she disappeared.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I growled low.

Grace was his daughter and a good friend of mine. Hell, I’d wanted to be more than that for quite some time. I only held back from pursuing her out of respect for her father. She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever known.

“Please, Ian. I have to find her.”

Hurrying through the doors, impatience flooded through my veins. “We’ll find her, if it’s the last thing I do . . . I swear.”

Colton’s truck was at the ranch when I arrived. Inside, he and Reed were at the kitchen table, files scattered across it. Reed was frustrated, running a hand through his dark hair as he paced back and forth. He’d grown up so much over the past couple of years. Now, at age twenty-six, he was an assassin, just like me and the rest of our brothers. Colton looked up from the table, uniform wrinkled, his gray hair in disarray.

I dropped my suitcase and hurried over. “I got here as fast as I could.”

Patting Colton on the back, I could feel him shake as he picked up a picture of Grace. Every time I’d talked to her in the past, it was easy to get sucked under her spell. She was beautiful, sure, but the adventurous side of her made her even more desirable.

I gently took the picture from Colton. Grace’s golden, hazel eyes stared back at me; an urgent need to find her brought my blood to a boil.

“She’s the only female missing,” he murmured sadly. “Her car is still at the hotel.” Lips trembling, he closed his eyes. “Some of her blood was found on the ground just outside the driver’s door, along with her purse and phone.”

“Is she seeing someone?” I asked. Before I left for New York she was still single. But anything could happen over three weeks’ time. “Maybe she’s with her boyfriend?”

Colton shook his head. “She’s not dating anyone. I’m sure she would’ve said something.”

“Have you checked the video feed at the hotel to see if she left with someone?”

“My men are on it right now.” A tear slid down his weathered face. “I just want to find her.”

Reed met my gaze and huffed. “I don’t get it.” He pointed at the files on the table. “Half of these missing people are from around this area. It’s not like they’re tourists being idiots.”

I picked up one of the files and opened it. The man’s name was Chuck McEntire, a computer salesman at a local tech shop. You could tell he wasn’t active by the size of his beer gut. If he was hiking the Grand Tetons, he wouldn’t have gotten far.

“Any signs of a struggle?” I asked, glancing at Colton.

Colton blew out a breath. “Nope. Chuck’s car never left his driveway. His wife got home from work and couldn’t find him. It’s like he disappeared into thin air.” He scooped up the rest of the files and handed them to me. “In fact, all these cases are the same. No struggles, or any indication of foul play. Other than the blood found outside Grace’s vehicle.”

I stared down at Grace’s picture. “Maybe she’s not connected to the others.”

“I sure as hell hope not. The others haven’t been found.” Colton swallowed hard and turned his head away from the picture. “If anyone hurts my little girl, I’ll goddamn kill them with my bare hands.”

I squeezed his shoulder. “You and me both. Let me know what your guys find. I’ll see what we can do in the meantime.”

He nodded. “Thanks, Chandler. I know you have to remain inconspicuous around here, but any help you can give would be appreciated.”

“Anything for you.” He shook my outstretched hand and left.

Taking a seat, I searched through all the files for the next few hours. There were no clues, no leads, nothing. It was as if I was looking at ghosts.